New Jersey Attorney General Adjourns Prosecution of Marijuana Charges until September 2018

New Jersey Attorney General Adjourns Prosecution of Marijuana Charges until September 2018

On Tuesday, June 24, 2018, the Attorney General of New Jersey, Gurbir Grewal, issued a memo requesting New Jersey Prosecutors to seek adjournments for “any matter involving a marijuana related offense pending in Municipal Court”, until September 4, 2018 or later. Mr. Grewal suggested he would be issuing a directive in August which could, “effectively amount to a moratorium of – or substantial reduction in – marijuana convictions in New Jersey”. It has been suggested that this is the first step in a more permanent legislation on the matter.

The impetus of the memorandum appears to stem from the efforts of Governor Phillip D. Murphy (D) campaigning heavily to legalize the use and possession of marijuana. There is currently a Bill pending by Senator Nick Scutari (D – Union), in the New Jersey Senate, for the legalization of marijuana which was sponsored in June of 2018 (S2702). That Bill proposes to legalize marijuana for Adult Use for those individuals 21 years of age and older. Senator Scutari has also sponsored two amendments to a preexisting Bill commonly known as the “Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act” (S2426 & S2373). The Bills would broaden Medical Marijuana Legislation to include caregivers and expand the list of qualifying medical conditions.

If you have a charge pending for the possession of marijuana in Municipal Court, it is imperative that you seek the advice of your attorney.